To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any reduction in the number of taxis in Glasgow as a result of the introduction of the low-emission zone in June 2023. (S6O-03414)

The number of licensed Glasgow City Council taxis reduced from 1,390 in May 2023 to 1,347 in January 2024. However, that reduction can be attributed to declining public demand for taxis rather than being a direct result of the low-emission zone, because Glasgow City Council offered its taxi fleet a 12-month exemption, from June 2023 to June 2024, from LEZ penalty charges. Glasgow City Council has announced that it will offer a further extension to the exemption for some taxis beyond June 2024, if taxi operators can demonstrate a commitment to retrofit vehicles or purchase compliant replacement vehicles.

The fact is that hundreds of black taxis are still non-compliant with the Scottish National Party’s low-emission zone in Glasgow, which means that they risk going out of business when the exemption ends next month. In February, Brian O’Hara of the Glasgow Taxi Trade Credit Union said that the lack of an exemption for taxis risks putting 400 small businesses out of business. That could all be prevented if the exemption continues for taxis that are not compliant.

I have one simple question for the cabinet secretary. For the sake of Glasgow’s black taxi drivers, will she back the extension of the exemption for those taxis—not the 76 that are already exempt?

If the member was listening, she would have heard that that is exactly what Glasgow City Council is doing. It is offering a further exemption, should there be a demonstration that retrofitting is planned.

Unlike other major cities in Scotland, Glasgow City Council does not have an age limit on taxis, so there is a higher proportion of older, non-compliant taxis, specifically in the Glasgow fleet. Annie Wells will be aware that the LEZ retrofit fund is open for applications and provides up to £10,000 towards the cost of retrofitting a taxi.

Bob Doris has a brief supplementary question.

What are the preliminary indications for the impact of the Glasgow low-emission zone on air quality in Glasgow, in contrast with the level of air pollution in the city prior to its introduction?

Because it takes many years for fleets to adapt to LEZ entry standards, the improvement is spread over a long period ahead of LEZ enforcement, rather than happening overnight, when enforcement commences.

In 2018, Glasgow Hope Street recorded an annual average nitrogen dioxide level of 61 micrograms per cubic metre. In 2023, it recorded an annual average nitrogen dioxide level of 39 micrograms per cubic metre, which is below the air quality objective limit. Furthermore, the highest daily average level at Glasgow Hope Street fell from 108 micrograms in 2018 to 72 micrograms in 2023, and the highest hourly level there has fallen significantly—from 310 micrograms in 2018 to 124 micrograms.

Paul Sweeney has a brief supplementary question.

The reality is that the cost of renewing a taxi to be compliant can be £60,000 to £100,000. The £10,000 grant is simply not sufficient, particularly when a lot of the affected taxi drivers are approaching retirement age or are in their 50s and cannot take out that huge amount of finance. Will the cabinet secretary review the financing arrangements that are available for people to scrap or retrofit their taxis?

We are paying a lot of attention to the four LEZ local authorities—the three that are about to commence their LEZ and Glasgow City Council, which has commenced its LEZ. The plans for that have been in place for some significant time. I mentioned that there is more of an issue in Glasgow, because it does not have licensing rules like other councils, which have insisted on improvement in their fleets.

As I said, Glasgow City Council has announced that it will offer a further extension to the exemption for some taxis beyond June 2024, if taxi operators can demonstrate a commitment to retrofit vehicles or purchase compliant replacement vehicles. On the finances for individuals, I am sure that engagement with Glasgow City Council will help to scope out requirements.